Corinthian helmet

The resulting at the beginning of the 7th century BC Corinthian helmet shaped strongly the current appearance of a Greek helmet. In the ancient world, this helmet type was known beyond the borders of Greece. It created different named according to their localities or areas of distribution helmet types.

The Corinthian helmet is an exception. Herodotus mentions a helmet shape, which is attributed to the trading city of Corinth. It is believed that the today known as Corinthian helmet type is meant. Presumably, the Corinthian helmet also has its origin in Corinth.

The Corinthian helmet was prepared in a similar manner as former bronze vessels. Its manufacture was expensive and is evidence of high craftsmanship.

History of development

A. First stage of Corinthian helmet

This helmet shape dates back to the time of the geometric cone helmet. The earliest examples are found in vase painting.

1 One-piece helmets

Two original helmets from the period have been found in Delphi and Olympia. The older, from Olympia, has a short nose shield. At the edge extend holes that were for head pins to attach the lining.

Often, the helmet was decorated with a horse's mane, which was mounted in the longitudinal or transverse directions and could be dyed.

2 Two-piece helmets

A much simpler method of preparation was when the helmet of two driven plates existed. This technique has its beginning in the cone helmets, and is continued later in the Illyrian helmets.

B. Second stage of the Corinthian helmet

In the first half of the 7th century, the Corinthian helmet become a key component of the Greek Hoplitenrüstung was. Gradually, the shape of which was adapted to the physical conditions.

It developed simultaneously two types of lateral cutouts on the helmet center moved: a shallow cut with rounded corners and a pointed gusset.

In the second half of the 7th century changed the look of helmets, especially the front end. The helmet grew forward, the length of the forehead and the nose shield to be increased, it became heavier and more massive than the rear part.

C. Third stage of the Corinthian helmet

The shape traditions of the helmet types remained in the second half of the 6th century BC exist. There was only added to the Kalottenabsatz, who coined the genre of helmets to its end.

These helmets were made ​​with very thin walls and due to the lower weight considerably more advantageous due to the advanced metallurgical development.

In order to obtain a protective effect, led to the Scheitelgrat, and reinforced the helmet with ridges, paragraphs, and edge trims.

Outcome

The Corinthian helmet was strongly adapted to the shape of the skull and protected in the classical form, which was worn especially in the 5th century BC by hoplites in Greece, with cheeks and nose umbrellas shade a large part of the face. On numerous representations of warriors to see who pushed out of combat helmet in the neck to have the face and thus the visibility completely free. Image in which the helmet is folded in the middle of the fight up, stir from the artistic need to be able to represent the individual faces of the warriors.

Through the influence of the Greek colonies on the Italian coast came to the Corinthian helmet type to Italy. From Southern Italy variants of the so-called Apulian - Corinthian helmet (also Etrusco - Corinthian helmet ) are known in which the cheeks screens are interconnected so that only a small opening for the eyes and below the nose piece remained free. This was the helmet not for its original breaking way (that is, the whole head covering ) suitable and was worn more like a cap on the head, similar to the above-mentioned recurved supporting manner. The helmet was used as one of the most common types in the army of the Roman Republic.

In the 5th century BC we often went over to versions that are not so close plants at the top of the helmet shell at the head, which the protective effect increased. Man helmets used with round cutouts and a pointed side gusset. Also in the 5th century BC came to another type of helmet that left more of the face and thus enlarged the field of vision and breathing easier, the Chalcidic helmet. In the 4th century BC, this was replaced by the Attic helmet.

In addition to this there were in the Hellenistic period the Piloshelm, the Boeotian helmet, and the Phrygian helmet.

The distribution of the Corinthian helmet

Even if you know that there are only 40 helmet finds in Greece itself, one can assume that he has his origin. The small number of finds is due to the fact that it was not customary in Greece to equip the dead with defensive weapons, in contrast to Italy, where the majority of the finds are grave finds; in Greece are votive offerings. An example is the helmet of the victor of Marathon Miltiades, who in 1940 was found in Olympia during excavations of the German Archaeological Institute in Athens. It bears the inscription: MILTIADES ANETHEKEN TOI DI ( Miltiades has ... dedicated to Zeus).

Other localities suggest that the Corinthian helmet was known throughout the Mediterranean. Finds from Egypt can be explained by the fact that mercenaries from Greece were recruited.